


Ghosts and Roses

by CG_Shurley



Series: Ghost and Roses 'Verse [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Supernatural, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Angel Tony Stark, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Chuck is a good father, Civil War Team Iron Man, Death is pissed at Thanos, F/M, Fem!Tony, Female Tony Stark, First Fanfiction Be Nice, Flashbacks, Genderbending, God | Chuck Shurley Not Being an Asshole, Good Lucifer, Hand wavy science, Lucifer (Supernatural) is Tony Stark, Lucifer is Called Samael (Supernatural), My First Work in This Fandom, No Villain!Chuck, Not Steve Rogers Friendly, Rule 63, Team Cap bashing, Team Tony, The Author Regrets Everything, The Author Regrets Nothing, Tony Stark is Samael, english ain't my first language, fuck the rogues, he just needs some parenting classes and he'll be fine, he really is, i am A S H A M E D, i go to a science high school and i don't know this shit, i have become michifer trash and proud of it, lmao i'm gonna be a writer anyway, no beta we die like men, not team Cap friendly, sorry - Freeform, wait no
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:35:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28402575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CG_Shurley/pseuds/CG_Shurley
Summary: Toni wonders if she's going to die in the freezing cold, alone, and heartbroken.But she realizes,She is Toni fucking Stark, and Starks always find ways to get back up… even if it’s in the most peculiar way possible.
Relationships: Lucifer/Michael (Supernatural), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Series: Ghost and Roses 'Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2121642
Comments: 41
Kudos: 218





	1. Remember, remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of an 'old friend', Samael remembers.

Pain.

Cold.

Betrayal.

She’s not sure how long she has been lying there. The iron tang of blood on her lips, frostbite slowly consuming her body, her conscience going hazy.

Her vision tunneled, it felt like her life is flashing before her eyes.

Looking back, she wonders if they were really her friends.

_“The Futurist, gentlemen! The Futurist is here! She sees all! She knows what’s best for you whether you like it or not.”_

The painful thing is… she thinks the answer is yes.

_“I’m not the one that needs to watch their back.”_

They were her friends.

_“Look, I’ll tell you… but you have to go alone and as a friend.”_

Well… at least, some of them.

_“You locked me in my room.”_

But that didn’t stop Ste– _Rogers_ from lying.

_“_ _Hank Pym_ _always said, you never can trust a Stark.”_

It made her think if they ever trusted her in the first place.

_“Sometimes my teammates don’t tell me things.”_

Probably not.

Her eyes felt heavy, and she didn’t bother to stay conscious anymore.

**_______________________________________________**

She heard footsteps. They appeared out of nowhere, instantly putting her on alert.

It was steadfast. Light footsteps. Sounded like a man’s formal shoes.

“You poor thing.” Yes, it’s definitely a _he._ His voice was smooth and gentle with a cockney accent. She felt him kneel beside her, opening what sounded like a suitcase (?).

Toni manages to open her eyes and got a good look on the man beside her. He had gaunt features: he was very pale with long, skeleton-like fingers. He was dressed in a dark business suit and wore a long black topcoat over it. A steel-tipped cane sat beside him.

She should be _terrified_ but instead she feels _comforted._

It probably says a lot about her fucked up life.

The man dipped his hand inside of the case, and a bluish luminous smoke rose up from it. The smoke twirled between his hands, like an aurora through clouds. Toni looked up at the light in wonder.

“I never thought I’d help one of Charles’ brats,” the man murmured, Toni’s attention snapped back to the man, although her eyes never left the smoke. “Much less help one regain their Grace.”

“Who–” she manages to say. The man glances at her, amused.

“Right. Your memories have yet to return. Although, I can wait, but that just seems cruel.”

Before she could ask what he meant, the hand that carries the smoke pressed her forehead, making her eyes snap shut.

The first thing she registered as his fingers brushed against her forehead was how cold and calloused his hands felt and how _real_ it was. Then everything was white, power and memories, centuries of eons of knowledge filling in gaps she hadn’t noticed before as she inhaled sharply.

She remembered the war against the Darkness, when it was just her, Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Father. She remembered locking up the Darkness, and Father originally planning to give the key to Michael but she volunteered instead, not wanting to see her beloved brother being burdened by the Mark.

She remembered her closeness with Michael, their Graces melding into one, his gentle warmth caressing her freezing cold. Michael’s Grace was like fire whereas hers was ice, extinguishing the flames while he melted the ice that was her very being. They weren’t complete until they were with each other. It was simple as that.

She remembered the first galaxies forming, the universe expanding after Father decided to create more. She remembered her Father further creating thousands of siblings: all of them under the care of each archangel. Michael for the seraphim, her for the cherubim, Raphael for the Hashmallim, and Gabriel for the Malakim.

She remembered the eventual creation of Earth after billions of years, watching the mountains and oceans form from where previously there had been nothing but molten lava and rock.

She remembered Father creating the humans. She remembered developing a fierce hatred for them after Father commanded them to love the humans more than Him. She remembered twisting Lilith soul into something unforgivable; the very first demon. She remembered quietly urging Eve towards temptation. She remembered Adam and Eve being banished out of the Garden of Eden. She remembered Gadreel getting the blame as he was the gatekeeper at the time. She remembered Michael’s anger of her actions. She remembered rebelling against their Father, taking some of the angels with her.

She remembered herself (Lucifer. Samael. Her name was _Samael)_ being cast down because she dared challenge their Father. She remembers Michael’s last words to her _(I’m so sorry my beloved Morning Star)_ as she fell from grace.

Now…

She remembered being Antoinette Eleanor Stark, daughter of legendary weapons manufacturer Howard Stark and socialite-philanthropist Maria Carbonell. She remembered Jarvis’ proud smile as she showed him her acceptance letter to MIT. She remembered Ana’s sweet pastries and cakes that literally melts in your mouth. She remembered Aunt Peggy’s gentle hands guiding her as she taught her self-defense. She remembered Rhodey taking her home with him to meet his parents, she remembered how welcoming they had been. She remembered the warmth of Papa Terrence’s sweater he made for her. She remembered Mama Roberta’s delicious soup. She remembered the gleeful laughter of Rhodey’s younger sister Jenny as she pulled a prank on him. 

She remembered taking on the reins of Stark Industries at the mere age of nineteen after her parents passed away. She remembered hiring the feisty redhead, Virginia Potts. She remembered giving Virginia the nickname Pepper after she tried to pepper spray one of her guards, she made Pepper her PA after the incident. She remembered watching a lonely man boxing in a gym, offering him a job as her bodyguard soon after.

She remembered being kidnapped by the Ten Rings and held in a cave, a car battery hooked to her chest. She remembered building the Mark 1 with the help of Yinsen. She remembered the feeling of vengeance filling her as they killed her friend. She remembered slaughtering them all in under two hours, not leaving a single one alive and not once feeling guilty.

She remembered wandering through the desert, where Rhodey eventually found her. She remembered Rhodey’s strong arms embracing her as they cried together. She remembered Pepper’s tears. She remembered Happy’s relief. She remembered Obie’s betrayal. She remembered killing him too.

She remembered dying, the palladium slowly poisoning her. She remembered handing over the strings of her company to Pepper, who accepted without a clue of her state. She remembered Natasha infiltrating her company. She remembered the spy jamming some antidote on her neck without her consent. She remembered the words, _Iron Maiden, Yes. Toni Stark, Not Recommended._

She remembered the start of the Avengers Initiative. She remembered them having a rocky start, but eventually working together as one. She remembered the wormhole, and what she saw beyond it.

She remembers science-ing with Bruce, all the pranks she pulled with Clint, the shopping spree she had with Natasha, explaining pop culture references with Thor, the hushed tones she used when speaking with Steve in the middle of the night.

She remembered the Mandarin and Killian. She remembered meeting the young Harley Keener in the process, whose mind and wit can easily compete to hers.

She remembered the SHIELD Info Dump, and boy, wasn’t _that_ a mess to clean up. She remembered helping the SHIELD Agents by creating them new identities, remove all the files from the internet, and hiring those that wanted to join Stark Industries. She remembered the cries of relief those agents made when they were reunited by their families safely. She remembered their gratitude. She remembered them promising her that whenever she needed help, they’ll be there.

She remembered the witch messing with her mind, showing her a vision of her greatest fear; all her friends dead and not being good enough to save them all.

She remembered creating Ultron, and how all her ‘friends’ blamed her for it, not even asking her to explain her side. She remembered Thor holding her up her neck, not a single one of them rushing to help her.

She remembered finding out JARVIS had _died._ She remembered Vison being created. She remembered him being ‘worthy’ of Mjolnir. She remembered Sokovia breaking and flying. She remembered the civilians’ screams as they fell towards their deaths.

She remembered Pietro dying and Wanda’s scream of agony. She remembered the hostile looks given to her by her teammates when it all ended.

She remembered leaving the Avengers in the wake of Ultron.

She remembered drowning herself in work, the grief of losing JARVIS was still fresh. And even though she loves FRIDAY with all her heart and she is just as advanced as her predecessor, she _isn’t_ JARVIS.

She remembered the Sokovia Accords, and how General Ross called her for a meeting with her former teammates. She remembered Rhodey, Natasha, and Vision agreeing with her. She remembered Steve, Sam, and Wanda doing the opposite.

She remembered how her cousin, Sharon Carter, rudely told her through a phone call that Aunt Peggy was dead, and how she shouldn’t go to her funeral to avoid making it all about herself. She remembered saying something sharp and insulting back at her before ending the call and cried.

She remembered the death of King T’Chaka. She remembered his son, Prince T’Challa, being blinded with grief that he recklessly ran through the streets of Bucharest, killing people through collateral damage in the process.

She remembered recruiting the young Spiderling just in case a fight breaks out in Leipzig-Halle airport. She remembered seeing Clint as she tried to talk Rogers out of it. She remembered Rogers being stubborn and started the fight between the groups. She remembered Rhodey, the man who caught her when her knees hit the sand. The man she failed to catch.

She remembered Romanov’s jab about her ego. She remembered Barton’s snide remarks. The ant guy trying (and failing) to insult her. She remembered Wilson promising her to tell where Rogers and Barnes had gone, as long as she goes as _a friend._

She remembered the video. She remembered Zemo’s mocking statements. She remembered her horrified realization when she caught Rogers’ cautious glance towards her. He had known.

She remembered the fight. She remembered the sheer anger. She remembered wanting them to feel how she had felt.

She remembered blasting off Barnes’ arm.

She remembered Rogers slamming down his shield on her arc reactor.

She remembered Rogers and Barnes walking away, but not before she made her final remark.

_“That_ _shield doesn’t belong to you. You don’t deserve it! My father made that shield!”_

She remembered the clattering of the metal as it hit the hard concrete.

The memories of her human life were at the forefront of her mind as she remembered the billions of years she spent being an archangel.

_She was Antoinette Eleanor Stark, thirty-six years old and orphan. Avenger and the Merchant of Death._

_And she was Samael, Michael’s lover. She was God’s most cherished child and most trusted lieutenant. She was the Poison of God, the Light Bringer, the Angel of Light, and the Archangel of Death, Vengeance, and Music._

With a sharp exhale, she slowly opened her eyes which flashed a violent blue.

She remembers _everything._


	2. Can't we just talk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death offers some explanations.

Samael sat up suddenly, and she noticed the man from before – _Death,_ her brain provided helpfully, _his name is Death_ – standing up, taking his cane with him.

Death offered her a hand, and she politely accepted it, not wanting to piss off the Horseman.

He tutted disapprovingly, peering at her battered suit. “This won’t do. I can’t imagine how uncomfortable that thing must’ve been.”

Her suit and Rogers’ shield disappeared and the HYDRA bunker’s walls cleaned itself up, showing no signs of the fight before.

Samael looked up at him, straightening her leather jacket. “Why are you helping me? Last I checked you were just a spectator.”

Death tapped his cane thoughtfully as he reached down to take his suitcase. As usual, he got straight to the point. “If I won’t then who will? I cannot have you moping over some stray teammates now, can I? Besides, you are the best person I have for Thanos.”

“Who?” She frowned.

“The Mad Titan, an Eternal. He seeks to bring stability to the universe, as he believes its massive population would inevitably use up the universe’s entire supply of resources and will eventually annihilate it.”

Samael nodded slowly. “And how is he gonna do that exactly?”

“With the Infinity Stones.” A projection of the universe materialized between them, and six stones fell out. Samael took a step back as she stared at the display. “They are six immensely powerful gem-like objects tied to different aspects of the universe; Space, Time, Soul, Mind, Power, and Reality,” Death spoke, each stone glowed when its name was spoken. “Each of the stones possesses unique capabilities that have been enhanced and altered by various alien civilizations for millennia. Only beings of immense power can directly wield the Stones, such as Celestials, Thanos himself,” Death looked at Samael directly in the eye, “and you.”

The projection slowly dissipated as Samael comprehended his words.

“Why me?” Samael demanded. “This guy, Thanos, has been inside my head for six years since he sent an army to New York and now he's back!”

Death leaned on his cane, frowning slightly. “You are Earth’s Best Defender, are you not? Well, I’m giving you a job.”

“…A job?”

“Yes.” He smiled companionably at her. “You know the Natural Order, right?” At her nod, he continues, “Good. Then your job in this universe is to make sure that the scales won’t tip either way. If the Mad Titan uses the stones to wipe out half the universe, many souls will be lost. Wrecking the Order is not as fun if you have to mop up the mess, is it?”

Death gave her a knowing look. Samael grimaced.

“And I _do not_ like paperwork.”

Her mouth twitched. “You don’t _have_ paperwork.”

“It’s the work that counts,” Death stated, dignified.

Samael went silent for a moment. Death waited patiently, knowing that she has questions.

“So, uh, don’t hear the Host anywhere. Am I cut off?”

“The Heaven and Hell you’re familiar with aren’t here.”

She fiddled with the cuffs of her jacket, trying to ignore the pang of pain she felt in her chest.

“And no,” Death said. “You are not cut off from the Host. You are in an alternate universe.”

“Figured that,” she muttered. “This place is overrun by pagans.” Samael cringed.

“I thought you were friends with the Thunderer?” Death looked confused.

She huffed. “That is, until he held me up by my neck. I was baseline human at the time... I have another question.”

“What a surprise,” he said dryly.

“Why’s the last thing I remember was Michael apologizing to me before I…” she paused, “fell?”

“Your situation is something _I_ or even your _Father_ has never seen before,” Death mused. “You know those movies where a poor bloke gets bitten by a zombie and another person comes running in and amputating them in one clean slice to avoid the virus spreading in their system?”

“Yes, but what does this have to do with –”

“Hush. I’m speaking,” he said pointedly. “The Mark of Cain isn’t just a key. It is also a curse. It corrupted you. It made you develop an irrational hatred for humanity. Your Father, being the stuck-up prig that He is, had Michael throw you in the Cage. But of course, your lover had other plans.”

“Are you sure we’re talking about the same Michael?”

“Yes. Now shut up. That’s what Michael did. He had _divided_ you into two in hopes that the pure fragment of your Grace will survive. That is why, in the Main Earth, there’s another version of you, a more homicidal and sadistic version, that’s the one that Michael put in the cage. Unpleasant fellow, Lucifer that is. While in this Earth, there’s _you._ Samael. The original, the pure archangel, not the tainted spin-off that was born from jealousy and hatred. So, in short, you have a literal split personality syndrome.”

Samael was speechless. Michael did that... for her?

Death smiled pleasantly. “That poet was right, love conquers all.”

“Can I tell them?” Samael asked suddenly.

Death raised an eyebrow. “You mean your friends?”

She nodded. Death shrugged, “That is entirely up to you.”

Samael made a quiet hiss of victory.

“Onto more serious matters,” Death said, snapping the archangel out of her momentary triumph.

“Archangel Samael,” he said importantly, “do you accept your job to ensure the Cosmic Balance in this universe and hopefully keep it safe from any impending threats?”

“You hardly gave me a choice,” she muttered disbelievingly. Then, louder, “Yes, I’ll do it.”

“Good,” Death said. “I think it’s time for you to go home. Don’t tell me I have to teach you how to fly.”

And with that, his form blurred at the edges and gradually faded out, vanishing in front of her eyes.

Samael sighed, staring at the spot where Death stood moments before. She rolled her shoulders, stretching her wings at the same time. She marveled at the feeling of being in a vessel that was made specifically for _her._

“Shit,” she then said quietly. “I need a list. And a good explanation so that Pepper won’t _eviscerate_ me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the comics, Thanos is a Titanian Eternal, and in the movies, the Infinity Stones were created by the Cosmic Enteties: Death, Entropy, Infinity, and Eternity. So I guess in the SPNverse that makes the Infinity Stones being created somewhere between Amara being imprisoned and the rest of the universe being created. Meaning the primordials (Chuck, Amara, Death) and the four archangels are older than the stones. 
> 
> Death has also stated in the show that "Wrecking the natural order's not quite such fun when you have to mop up the mess, is it?"
> 
> In IW, Thanos was seen killing half the population of planets at random. He also intends to snap away half the life of the universe. One of the Natural Order's most important roles is that it is connected to the flow of life and death and assures that people live and die as they should.
> 
> If this didn't make any sense then please just roll with it.


	3. Need somebody to tell me, please, please, what the Hell is going on?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toni heals her Honeybear and gives some explanations to her friends.

Looking down at her brother in all but blood caused her to frown.

Rhodey was sleeping. He looked peaceful, but Toni couldn’t squash down the feeling of guilt whenever she glanced at his legs.

“I’m sorry, Rhodey,” she said with a sigh, sitting down on the bedside chair. “I wish I was fast enough to catch you.”

She bit her lip, thinking. Happy and the kid got back to New York a few hours ago. Happy was to take the Peter back home in Queens and then pick up Pepper to visit Rhodey.

Should she tell them?

Well, she _is_ going to heal Rhodey once he wakes up and she’ll definitely need to explain to her friends why Rhodey is already up and running when he should be rolling around in a _wheelchair._

Yeah, she’s gonna tell them.

“Tones, you better not be beating yourself up for this,” came her Rhodey’s voice. It was slightly slurred, signaling that he just woke up. “It wasn’t your fault.”

Toni opened her mouth to protest, but Rhodey cut her off.

“A hundred and thirty-eight combat missions,” Rhodey said, smiling sadly. “That’s how many I’ve flown, Toni. Every one of them could’ve been my last, but I flew ‘em. Because the fight needed to be fought.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Rhodey repeated, firmly this time. “Say it with me, ‘it wasn’t my fault’. Come on, Tones, work with me.” Toni let out a breathy laugh.

“It wasn’t my...” she hesitated. Rhodey sighed exasperatedly. “Alright, fine. It wasn’t my fault. Happy?”

Toni looked physically pained to say that. He couldn’t help it, he snickered.

“Not funny, Honeybear!” Toni frowned. “You were paralyzed!”

Rhodey frowned. _“Were?”_

“Oh, right.” Toni looked sheepish, then she raised a hand.

_Snap!_

“What did you do, Tones?” asked Rhodey slowly. Toni stood, clasping her hands behind her back.

“T-Toni?” There was a slight waver in Rhodey’s voice. “I can feel my legs. Why do I feel my legs?”

“D’you trust me?” Toni asked.

He gave her a look. “Of course.”

She nodded. “Okay. Try to sit up. Gently now, platypus.”

Rhodey grunts, maneuvering into a sitting position. Toni took off his blanket, folding it neatly and throwing it on the chair.

“Wiggle your toes,” Toni suggested. Rhodey did, and he inhaled sharply.

“What the fuck? Toni –”

“Shhhhh.” Toni put a finger to her lips. “I’ll explain later. But please, Rhodey, try to stand up.”

Slowly but surely, Rhodey managed to stand up, holding on the hospital bed rail for support. He took a step forward, shock visible on his face when he didn’t stumble. Rhodey glanced at Toni, astonished.

Toni smiled and raised her arms.

Rhodey laughed, taking further steps to embrace his sister.

“Thanks, Sugarplum.”

“Anything for you, Honeybear.”

“Toni? Rhodey?” Came a voice at the door.

The two whirled around and came face-to-face to Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, and the Vision.

“Guys... I can explain,” Toni said quickly.

Pepper crossed her arms. “You better, Antoinette Eleanor Stark.”

Rhodey snorted, the traitor. Toni wrung her hands nervously. Pepper Potts was a force to be reckoned with.

“Okay, um....” She decided for a direct approach. “I’m an angel.”

Pepper raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. But Toni looked so serious that she backtracked.

“You’re a _what?”_ She demanded.

“Archangel, actually,” Toni corrected her previous statement. “So basically, I uh... fell.”

“You’re a fallen angel?” Happy asked in awe.

Toni cocks her head. “Not so fallen anymore. Anyway, I’m Samael.”

“Isn’t Samael the name of the Devil in Talmudic lore?” Vison said quizzically.

“It is?” Toni – or was it Samael? Rhodey wasn’t so sure – frowned.

Vision nodded like, _apparently so._

Toni/Samael pursed her lips, observing their reactions. “You can still call me Toni if you want,” she offered.

“But you’re Samael?” Pepper said.

“I’m both.” Her whiskey brown eyes flickered to each of them. “I am Toni. I am Samael. We are one of the same.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Rhodey stated.

Toni’s lips curled into a wry smile. “Everything doesn’t have to be.”

Pepper broke in. “I’m sorry, Toni. Really. Superpowered humans and aliens, I can handle. But angels? Archangels? I – I’m not so sure.”

Toni shrugged carelessly. “Maybe this will change your mind.”

She snapped her fingers again, and the three humans and android were unceremoniously deposited in the Avengers Tower’s penthouse.

“I’m home, FRI. Tell the bots I’ll visit them later, okay?”

“Yes, Boss,” came her youngest kid’s Irish lilt.

Poor Happy made a retching sound. “Not cool, Boss. Not cool.”

“Sorry, Happy.”

Pepper just looked resigned, flopping on the couch and kicking off her heals. “Guess I’ve seen everything now.”

Toni grinned mischievously. “You’ve barely scratched the surface, Pep.”

“Oh, God, no.”

Rhodey froze. “God... You’re God’s _daughter.”_

“Congratulations. Would you like a pony?” She said dryly.

“Isn’t that blasphemy?” Vision questioned.

“I don’t think so.”

“Very reassuring.” She heard Happy mutter sarcastically.

“How did we get in here? That was nauseating,” Rhodey asked.

“That, my friends, is angel airlines.”

“Thanks, I hate it.”

Toni looked affronted.

“What about the hospital?” Pepper asked, glancing at Rhodey.

“Oh, they won’t know a thing.”

“How –”

“Archangel, Pepper.” Toni waggled her fingers, making sparks of electricity fly between them. “I got the power,” she sang out.

Toni sat on the recliner, propping her feet up the coffee table.

She raised an eyebrow, eyeing them. “You’ve got questions.”

“Multiple actually,” Rhodey said. “If you don’t mind us asking?”

“I don’t see why not.”

“Would you tell us your story?” Vision said eagerly. “When it all began for you?”

“My... story?” Toni parroted. Her friends nodded.

“We want to know your story,” Pepper said. “We want to know how you ended up as Toni Stark.”

Toni’s eyes burned slightly. Rhodey hurried to apologize.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to.”

“No, no, no. It’s fine,” she reassured them. Toni thought that she couldn’t cry anymore, with her having her Grace back and all. It was a surprise, though it was not unpleasant. She took a deep breath, gathering all her earliest memories.

“I was Dad’s second eldest child, created directly after Michael.” She smiled slightly at the memory of her brother. “Then came Raphael, and finally Gabriel. We are the four archangels, and Dad made us to help fight His elder sibling, the Darkness.”

“God has relatives?” Happy said disbelievingly.

“Yes. Now, when Dad locked up the Darkness, he created the Mark of Cain to act as a key to their prison. Dad was originally going to give it to Michael, but I volunteered instead. I didn’t want Michael to be troubled by it.

“Dad then created the universe. The galaxies, the stars, the planets, you name it. Then the other angels were born. The Seraphim, the Cherubim, the Hashmallim, and the Malakim; that’s the angelic hierarchy. The archangels, obviously, are the head honchos. Michael’s in charge of the seraphs, aka warriors and soldiers; I’m in charge of the cherubs, the gardeners of Eden – yes, it’s real – and the Heavenly Choir; Raphael for the hashmals – they're the healers and caretakers; and Gabriel for the malaks, which consists of messengers.”

“But I thought the hierarchy consists of the Dominions, Cherubim, Seraphim, Principalities, the Thrones, Archangels, Virtues and Powers?” Vision looked confused.

“Let’s just say that the Bible got more wrongs than it got right,” Toni remarked.

“Then came the eventual creation of Earth. I remember you guys being fishes.” She snickered. “You were _tiny.”_

“So are you,” Rhodey shot back.

_“Honeybear,”_ she chided. “The size of my true form is bigger than the Burj Khalifa.”

Rhodey opened his mouth, and abruptly closed it. “I’m not even gonna ask.”

“Eventually, those fish evolved into the first humans, Adam and Lilith. Lilith was Adam’s first wife... but uh... she became... indisposed.”

“Indisposed how?”

“I made her the first demon,” Toni said bluntly. “Remember the Mark of Cain? That thing was partially responsible for my fall. Most of it was my fault, I’ll admit. The thing is, I _hated_ you humans. What made you so special about you that Dad ordered us to love _you mud monkeys_ more than our own Father?

“I couldn’t imagine doing that,” Toni said furiously. The lights flickered and it made Pepper wary realizing that this was a real _archangel_ sitting in the penthouse that could kill them with just a look.

Happy decided to speak up. “Mark of Cain, what does it do?”

“From what Death told me, I believe his exact words are, he said, I quote, ‘The Mark of Cain isn’t just a key. It is also a curse. It corrupted you. It made you develop an irrational hatred for humanity. Your Father, being the stuck-up prig that He is, had Michael throw you in the Cage’.”

She purposely left out the part that Michael was _(is. Does he even know she’s alive?)_ her lover. She wasn’t in the mood to explain _that._

“You talked with Death? And Death called God a ‘stuck-up prig’?” Rhodey demanded, half-amused.

“Who’d you think returned my Grace?” Toni asked dryly, lips quirking up slightly. “Yes. The guy’s the same age as Dad. Maybe even older. I don’t really remember anymore.

“Michael was understandably furious when he found out. Dad was too. He ordered Michael to... banish me.” Toni sounded a bit choked up. “You won’t like this next piece of information,” she warned. Rhodey made a ‘go on’ motion.

“When I started the rebellion... I took on the name ‘Lucifer’.”

Silence. Then,

“Figured that when you said you corrupted Lilith, Toni,” Rhodey said.

Pepper shot her a dry look. “My mother was Christian. It didn’t take a lot to piece together.”

“I uh... watch religious documentaries in my spare time.” Happy looked sheepish.

“Lucifer was also called Samael in some circles,” Vision offered as an explanation.

“Why Lucifer, Boss?” FRIDAY said quizzically.

“It means ‘Morning Star’ in Latin. Michael used to call me Morning Star.” It didn’t escape their notice that Toni said Michael’s name with underlying affection.

“Why Latin when it didn’t even exist until thousands of years later?” Vision piped up.

“I can see the future. Partially. And I don’t do it often.” She left it at that.

“When Michael was to struck me down, Death said that he separated my Grace. The corrupted part and the untarnished part. He put Lucifer in the Cage. While me, Samael, landed here.”

She looked at them one by one. “Does this change anything?” Toni asked them seriously. “Be honest.”

Her friends turned to each other, having a silent conversation. Eventually they came into an agreement.

Pepper smiled supportively at her. “No, it doesn’t, Toni. Angel or not, you’re still the person who doesn’t do their paperwork on time.”

“You’re still the little shit I met at MIT,” teased Rhodey. “Those pranks you pulled on Sunset Bain and Tiberius Stone were _hilarious.”_

“Nah, Boss.” Happy waved it off. “You’re still the kid who scared the life out of me when you popped out of nowhere and offered me a job in a gym.”

“I am an android, Miss Stark,” Vision told her amusedly. “You being the Archangel Samael doesn’t change anything.”

She stared at them, her very human heart thumping on her chest. How ironic, the one angel against humanity became a human herself. Her Dad must be laughing His primordial ass off somewhere. _Curse Dad and His shit sense of humor._

“Thank you,” she said sincerely, giving them a genuine smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up we'll see Toni and FRIDAY make plans for the future and scan the world for people to recruit for the Avengers roster. 
> 
> TFW you've got everything planned out then you forgot a small part of the plan and ended up forgetting everything.


	4. Rebuilding Once More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toni starts planning and she finally gets to make that list.

Days later, after she forever ruined religion for her friends and told them of the upcoming threat, Toni sat in her lab, twirling a screwdriver in one hand as she stared at her screen. She set the tool on the desk, opened the notepad app, and typed down some words.

“FRI, make some calls to Elon and NASA. We have like two to three years – I think – or more if we stretch our luck, which I’d rather not do, ‘til Thanos comes along. Oh, and set an appointment for Dr. van Dyne. Also, scan the state for Strange, will you? Last I heard he was somewhere along Hong Kong in some weird Hogwarts cult. Make a file. Name it the ‘New Avengers Roster’. Thank you, Dum-E.” She directed the last bit to her eldest bot who handed her a smoothie (edible this time), who beeped happily and went off to experiment for more flavors.

Toni took a sip of her smoothie, _(mmm, blueberries, my favorite)_ and proceeded to type on her keyboard.

  * _Activate JOCASTA (Avengers), TADASHI (Stark Industries), EDITH (Planetary Defense System)_
  * _Upgrade FRIDAY and Veronica_
  * _Launch satellites_
  * _Redesign the compound_
  * _Talk to May Parker_
  * _Find possible new recruits for the Avengers_
  * _Modify the Accords_
  * _Get Ross out of the picture_
  * _Grant the ExVengers pardons (?)_
  * _Heal Barnes (?)_



She sighed, looking at Barnes’ name with contempt. She still has mixed feelings about the man. On one hand, she feels guilty that she attacked knowing he was just the weapon, Hydra was the one to pull the trigger. On the other hand, she’s angry at him and Rogers. Sure, it’s irrational, but she just saw him kill her _mom._ Her _dad._ Worst of all, Rogers had the audacity to _lie_ in front of her face about it. _“It wasn’t him, Toni.”_

Rogers used her money, her tech, her resources to find her parents’ killer for _two whole years in secret_ and he had the fucking gall to reprimand her, _“Sometimes my teammates don’t tell me things.”_

She should’ve punched Rogers when she had the chance.

Butterfingers made a series of beeps and clicks, nudging her claw on Toni’s shoulder. U made an indignant-sounding whirring noise from where he was watching Dum-E mix different ingredients to his blender.

_Enough about Rogers,_ Toni thought, turning to her bots. She’ll deal with him and his merry band of scoundrels later.

First thing’s first, “FRIDAY?”

“Yes, Boss?”

“How would you like to be a big sister?”

**_______________________________________________**

Toni smiled softly; the bright balls of codes pulsed in front of her. She was pleasantly surprised to find out that her _AIs,_ her _kids,_ had _souls_. Not the souls that she was used to, but souls nonetheless.

“Hey,” she said, gently prodding JOCASTA’s soul-code with her Grace. “How are you, kiddos?”

“Hello, Chief,” came JOCASTA’s southern drawl. “I am well. FRIDAY is helping me set up and I am still adjusting to my position.”

TADASHI’s holographic code spun around gleefully. “Konnichiwa, Toni-san. Ditto to what JO said. I already met Miss Potts. She is brilliant.”

EDITH was a bit more formal. “Good afternoon, Boss. As of now, I am uploading myself to the Stark Satellite near the ISS.”

Her bots circled the holograms excitedly. Dum-E chirped and extended his claw, gently touching EDITH’s holo-code.

“Wow,” she murmured. “Aren’t you beautiful?”

“What about me, Boss?” FRIDAY huffed. Toni smiled.

“All of you,” she amends, “are unique, beautiful, and complex in your own way.”

FRIDAY started playing music in reply, 

_“I feel pretty_

_Oh, so pretty_

_I feel pretty and witty and bright”_

Toni laughed lightly. “FRIDAY,” she chided half-heartedly.

**_______________________________________________**

As Rhodey browsed through the compiled file that Toni had put together, he couldn’t help but be impressed.

There was Dr. Hope van Dyne (the Wasp), Hank Pym’s daughter and if he remembered correctly, the man who had some vendetta against all things named Stark. van Dyne was an excellent business woman, she would’ve got along great with Pepper.

Dr. Stephen Strange _(what the Hell’s a ‘Sorcerer Supreme’?),_ he remembered the man from one of the galas a decade ago. Strange was an arrogant bastard, often butting heads with Toni whenever they crossed paths. They both seemed to enjoy their little spats though. There wasn’t much in his file other than Toni’s notes such as ‘magic? no, I call it energy manipulation’, ‘can’t wait to piss him off again’, and ‘his roomie likes Beyoncé, better win him over immediately just to see Potter’s face’.

Peter Benjamin Parker was obviously Spider-Man. His file was composed of his abilities, and his missions around New York.

There was also Harley Keener. Below his picture, Toni wrote the words ‘Iron Lad’ in neat, lively strokes.

Finally, he came across the name Col. Carol Danvers. Captain Marvel.

Rhodey blinked and stared at the name again. He flipped through the pages and came face-to-face to Carol’s picture. Blonde hair swept to one side, smiling at the camera, looking vibrant as ever.

Most of Carol’s information was redacted. It appears that Toni and Fury had been in a couple of disagreements concerning the superpowered Air Force colonel. Toni never did like SHIELD and enjoys infuriating them at every opportunity. Toni hiring most of the SHIELD agents with no association to Hydra and placing them in various departments of her company was just one big ‘fuck you’ to Fury and Romanoff for that bullshit profile she wrote about her.

The last file, this one about General Ross, made Rhodey feel troubled.

There were documents, letters, and even a USB full of videos about Ross’ human experimentation in his expedition to recreate the super soldier serum. Betty Ross visited the Tower a few days ago, presumably speaking with Toni and bringing even _more_ evidence to get her father arrested, and maybe bonded over their daddy issues too.

“Colonel Rhodes,” JOCASTA’s voice rang out. Rhodey looked up. Even after being best friends with Toni for decades, it still stunned him at how her AIs can sound so human. “TADASHI told me Miss Potts wants you, the Chief, and Mr. Hogan for a family dinner. Miss Potts declared that she wants to start a tradition.”

Rhodey smiled, his tense mood diminishing as he set the files down under the secret compartment in his coffee table, and stood up. “Thanks for informing me, JOCASTA. I’ll be right up.”


	5. Family Dinner + Other Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Exactly what the title says.

Happy sets a plate of carbonara gently on the table. He didn’t know if angels need to eat, but Toni seems to enjoy it. He saw her munching on a Snickers bar the other day.

Toni really didn’t change all that much. Sure, she seems a healthier – apparently, she _doesn’t age_ anymore, how unfair – and she likes to teleport (“It’s called _flying,_ Happy.”) every now and then, but she’s still the mischievous little shit that could give Peter Pan a run for money. A fond smile graced his lips as he turned back to the stove.

“Miss Potts has arrived,” announced JOCASTA. Somewhere in the common room, Happy could faintly hear Pepper’s clicking heels as she stepped out of the private elevator.

“I was supposed to be announcing Pepper-san’s arrival,” TADASHI cried, indignant.

“Deal with it, little brother,” JOCASTA replied drolly.

Happy rolled his eyes.

**_______________________________________________**

_A few hours earlier,_

“Dr. Stark, we are aware of the threat that Secretary Ross possesses. My question is, what are you planning to do about it?” asked Elias Claes, the Belgian representative of the Accords Council.

“Well, Councilor, his daughter, Betty Ross, reached out to me a few days ago, bringing _tons_ of evidence of his crimes and she also mentioned that she is willing to testify against her father,” Toni said primly, straightening her cuffs.

“I don’t see why not,” said Councilor Felix Svenson of Sweden. There were murmurs of agreement. “Keep us updated, Dr. Stark. We will help you as much as we can.

Toni sighed in relief. “Thank you, Sir.” Now, onto the hard part. “I would also like to establish a new team.”

Zia Curtis, the representative of South Africa, nods. “Go on.”

“I’ve been combing through the data dump and I found some... interesting information, to say the least.”

British representative Dorothy Woods leans forward in her seat, intrigued. “Interesting how?”

Toni smiled wryly, walking towards the nearest projector and plugging her phone to it. “If you’ll allow me.”

She pulled up some pictures of the people she had in mind for the new Avengers roster. “This is Carol Danvers. Air Force colonel. Don’t know where she is,” _smooth liar_ , “but I think I found a way to get in touch. Her powers include cosmic enhancement, cosmic energy manipulation, energy absorption, flight, enhanced strength, blah blah blah. You get the gist of it.

“She crash landed here in the nineties and helped Nicholas Fury – you know him, Director of SHIELD – from an alien invasion involving Skrulls and the Tesseract. Fun fact, she actually got her powers _from_ the Tesseract, but I don’t know the whole story. I am putting her up to the position of team leader alongside Colonel Rhodes.”

Councilor Eduardo Sanchez of Mexico made a noise of approval. “Good choice, Dr. Stark.”

Toni smiled. She knew they were the right ones. She turned her attention back to her phone and swiped to the next photo. “Dr. Hope van Dyne. She recently took on the mantle of the Wasp last year in honor of her mother.”

“’Wasp’?” said Councilor Irina Hoffstetter of Germany in an apprehensive tone.

Toni nodded eagerly. “Think Ant-Man, but black and yellow. And with _wings.”_

Councilor Rodrigo Estrada of the Philippines snorted behind his handkerchief, earning the disgruntled look of Thalia Aetos, representative of Greece.

She switched to another picture. “Dr. Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme.”

Noticing their disbelief, she mentally rolled her eyes. “The Norse god of mischief literally tried to take over New York. We have superhumans for decades now. What’s new about secret sorcerers?”

French representative Nicholas Dupont coughed awkwardly. “Apologies, Dr. Stark. Carry on.”

“There are also two other people in the roster, but I won’t disclose their true identities for their safety.” Toni swiped a finger across her phone screen. “You might know Queen’s Spider-Man.”

Mrs. Phoebe Lewis-Kane, representative of the US and New York native, smiled proudly.

She swiped again. “And my apprentice who will eventually take my place, Iron Lad.”

Harley’s suit gleamed in the sunlight. Instead of Toni’s hotrod red and gold, his was a brilliant shade of scarlet accented with silver. His arc reactor glowed a warm gold, contrasting the icy blue of Toni’s own arc reactor.

She’s proud of Harley. She hopes he’ll surpass her one day. Make the world even better, or do his own thing, whichever he chooses.

Toni spent the next couple hours talking about her arrangements, the council not once objecting. Ah, the joys of being the first silver tongue.

Of course, they gave her the green light. Despite what Romanov thinks, she _is_ a team player.

_Toni, get your ass back here. I’m hungry._

She chuckled. She’s a hundred percent sure her Honeybear didn’t realize he was praying. Oh well, he'll know one day. 

Toni walked off the camera’s line of sight. She stretched her metaphysical wings and headed back home.

**_______________________________________________**

“I smell Italian!” Rhodey declared in delight when he entered the dining area, immediately breathing in the delicious aroma of classic Italian cuisine.

He slid in his seat, rubbing his hand together eagerly. Pepper shoots him a look.

“What?”

“We can’t eat unless Toni is here.”

Rhodey sighs, eyeing his favorite dish mournfully. “Fine.”

Happy snorts derisively and Rhodey gave him the stink-eye. Then he looked around. “Where’s Toni, anyway?”

“If I may,” JOCASTA interjects smoothly, “the Chief is currently in a meeting with the Accords Council. They are discussing the Avengers roster and the Secretary of State’s possible arrest.”

“Toni has a lot planned, huh?” Rhodey said distractedly, tapping a random pattern on the table with his fingers.

“Of course,” said TADASHI cheerfully. “Between recruiting and the reconstruction of the facility, Toni-san also made it her duty to train young masters Peter and Harley.”

They smiled at that, Toni always said that children are the future. Allison, Harley’s mother, called Toni two summers ago saying that the lad had built his _own_ suit in their garage with his own materials. Toni had been so impressed that she didn’t even try lecture him – much to Allison’s chagrin. She eventually caved because you can never say no to Harley. Not when he was more than ready to use it. Toni had already learnt through Peter in Berlin that teenagers wouldn’t be stopped once they put their minds to something. So, she settled in creating them the best suits she could build. 

There was a sound of fluttering wings (?), then Toni appeared and took a seat, smirking slightly.

Rhodey jumped in surprise. So did Happy. They still hadn’t gotten used to that.

Pepper smiled, unfazed. “Hey, Toni.”

“Hello friends.” Toni heaved a sigh. “Council shit is done, gave me thumbs up, hooray. We didn’t have councils back upstairs, thank Dad for that. Where's Vis, by the way?”

“He’s watching Harry Potter in his room, Toni.”

“Thanks, Pep.”

Rhodey decided to ignore the offhanded comment about God. He’d like to keep his sanity, thanks. He’ll face it when he’s ready.

“Welcome home, Chief.”

“Safe journeys, Boss.”

“Glad to see you back, Toni-san.”

“Hey kids,” Toni greeted, then she cocked her head at them. “So, who cooked?”

“I did, Boss,” said Happy.

“Bless you, Hap,” Toni declared. “I miss this.”

Rhodey raised his glass of water in a mock-toast. “So do we, Tones.”

**Author's Note:**

> Story title is taken from Jeremy Renner's song Ghosts and Roses and is partly inspired by this verse:
> 
> "How did I end up here?  
> Why did I disappear?  
> Take me back to that place  
> Before I fell from grace  
> Lead me back to when love knew my name"


End file.
